Exclamation!

The
outcome of last night’s MIAA A Conference Basketball Championship Game
was already obvious by the time the fourth quarter got underway, but
just before Towson Catholic’s undefeated run through the regular season
and playoffs became official, senior Donte Greene added a finishing
touch.  Greene, who combined with fellow Owl superstar Malcolm Delaney
for 41 points in their 71-49 title clinching win over McDonogh, soared
off the floor, snatched a careening rebound from the air and flushed it
through the rim with two-handed authority.

The play showcased
the brilliant athleticism Greene has displayed throughout his four-year
varsity career and capped the team’s long journey to its third MIAA
title and its first since 2001.  It also allowed the Owls (28-4) to
become just the second team in league history to go unbeaten to a
league title.  Mount St. Joseph became the first when it defeated the
Owls in last year’s championship game.

“We’ve been working all
year for this. We’ve been working hard up in the gym, starting in the
pre-season and even all the way back in August,” said Greene, who hopes
to lead the Owls to two more tournament titles before he heads off to
Syracuse University next year.  “It feels good to finally win one.  We
played St. Joe in last year’s final and we came back this year
focused.  We stayed hungry and we got the championship.”

McDonogh
(22-8), which upset #2 St. Joe on Tuesday to reach the final, came in
with some hope after taking the Owls to the wire in their previous
meeting, a 69-68 loss, but that type of ball game never materialized.

Towson
Catholic established its dominance early as it raced out to a 21-11
lead at the end of one quarter.  Greene led the way with 11 points, as
he converted four free throws and sank a long three.  Delaney, who is
bound for Virginia Tech in the fall, matched that with 11 in the second
quarter, also nailing a three and hitting six free throws.

The
second quarter was McDonogh’s strongest of the night.  Paced by
back-to-back three pointers by seniors Joe Yermal and Brandon Herbert,
the Eagles put a mini-surge together in the middle of the quarter and
trailed by just seven, 30-23, with 3:40 to play.  Less than a minute
later, however, Herbert picked up his third foul and the Owls closed
the half with a 9-3 spurt, to lead 39-26.  The Owls then opened the
second half with a 10-1 run and the result was ensured.

Delaney
finished with a game-high 22 points, while Greene scored 19 points,
grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked six shots.  In addition, sophomore
guard LeShon Edwards scored 10 points for the Owls.

Yermal
played his heart out in the loss as he connected on four threes and
scored a team-high 18 points.  The first 15 came in the opening half,
but eventually the burden of lifting the offense while trying to check
Greene and TC’s contingent of big men wore him down.  Herbert, who was
the primary focus of Owl defense, finished with 15 points, but all but
seven came in the fourth quarter, after the outcome was determined.

“I
am just really proud of my seniors,” said Towson Catholic head coach
Josh Pratt.  “They have stepped up.  Donte and Malcolm have stepped up
and even Josh Czerski has really stepped up in practice and been a
leader on the bench. They know this is there last go-around.”

Pratt
was an assistant at Archbishop Spalding when Rudy *** led the Cavaliers
to the 2003-2004 MIAA title and then spent one year as the head coach
at St. Mary’s before replacing Mike Daniels at Towson Catholic last
year.  He knows how difficult  it is to go unbeaten in a league such as
the MIAA and reflected on the accomplishment.  

“It’s just been
a special season and I’ll never forget it because it may never happen
again as a coach.  I’m really appreciative of the opportunity [Jeff]
Palumbo has given me and I am appreciative of the players,” said
Pratt.  “We’ve had communication and worked hard together.  There have
been many nights of staying up late, talking on the phone or sitting in
my office and talking.  We’re just having fun and that’s the bottom
line.”

The Owls are not done yet, however.  On Sunday, they kick
off their quest to win the Baltimore Catholic League Tournament when
the play St. Maria Goretti in the event’s opening game, 2:30 pm, at
Loyola College.  They also are headed to the Alhambra Catholic
Invitational, March 15-17, at Frostburg State University, where they
hope to earn a re-match with DeMatha, which defeated the Owls by six in
a nationally televised contest earlier this year.

Exclamation!  Exclamation!  Exclamation!  That is the goal now.